Deception Island, Baily Head & Whalers Bay
What an incredible beginning to the day! We made it ashore to Baily Head and stepped on to the black volcanic ash beach. We saw towering brown cliffs off to one side and, in the other direction, a long beach with surf breaking. Just above the beach, we spotted ice cliffs streaked and topped with ash. This in itself was striking, but the sight of thousands of chinstrap penguins along the full length of the coastline left one speechless.
Just out to sea, hundreds of them were “porpoising” their way back from feeding grounds and getting ashore with artful dexterity. As we readied ourselves for our walk, we were mesmerized by this penguin symphony.
After a short walk we were in for another surprise. We clambered over a little rocky ridge, walked some 30 meters up a dry valley, and then suddenly found ourselves completely surrounded by hills and steep slopes, some richly covered in bright green algae, mosses and lichens. Everywhere the eye could see were penguins, vast numbers colonizing huge tracts of land. Then there was the chorus. As we continued to walk up to a ridge, we tried to comprehend all that we were experiencing. At the top, we just sat down and celebrated the privilege of being here.
After this truly amazing experience we headed for our afternoon destination: Whaler’s Bay. Soon we were navigating through the narrow entrance to the caldera known as Neptune’s Bellows. Steep dark brown cliffs on our starboard side, more gentle slopes on the port side, and – just inside – an old wreck of a ship that didn’t make it through. She hit the rock which is right in the middle of the entrance! Along the shoreline, a series of old buildings and the remains of the old whaling station could easily be seen. Off to one side we could see Neptune’s Window; it seemed that Neptune himself had taken a huge bite out of that part of the rugged landscape.
By early afternoon we were ashore and off on a walk to the window. Along the way, we passed numerous remains, such as water boats and wooden casks, harking back to the whaling days which ended here in 1931. At the end of the beach we come across a Weddell and leopard seal hauled out and resting. Then, up to the window and a view out to sea. We spent the rest of our time reconnoitering the old whaling station and the British Base which operated continuously from 1944 to 1967, when it had to be abandoned due to an eruption on the island.
There was one more surprise in store for us: a few hardy souls opted for a swim in the slightly warmed waters of Whaler’s Bay. The water at the very edge of the beach was hot, but judging by the extreme brevity of the time spent by each person in the water, one can reasonably conclude that the rest of the experience was very cold indeed!
What an incredible beginning to the day! We made it ashore to Baily Head and stepped on to the black volcanic ash beach. We saw towering brown cliffs off to one side and, in the other direction, a long beach with surf breaking. Just above the beach, we spotted ice cliffs streaked and topped with ash. This in itself was striking, but the sight of thousands of chinstrap penguins along the full length of the coastline left one speechless.
Just out to sea, hundreds of them were “porpoising” their way back from feeding grounds and getting ashore with artful dexterity. As we readied ourselves for our walk, we were mesmerized by this penguin symphony.
After a short walk we were in for another surprise. We clambered over a little rocky ridge, walked some 30 meters up a dry valley, and then suddenly found ourselves completely surrounded by hills and steep slopes, some richly covered in bright green algae, mosses and lichens. Everywhere the eye could see were penguins, vast numbers colonizing huge tracts of land. Then there was the chorus. As we continued to walk up to a ridge, we tried to comprehend all that we were experiencing. At the top, we just sat down and celebrated the privilege of being here.
After this truly amazing experience we headed for our afternoon destination: Whaler’s Bay. Soon we were navigating through the narrow entrance to the caldera known as Neptune’s Bellows. Steep dark brown cliffs on our starboard side, more gentle slopes on the port side, and – just inside – an old wreck of a ship that didn’t make it through. She hit the rock which is right in the middle of the entrance! Along the shoreline, a series of old buildings and the remains of the old whaling station could easily be seen. Off to one side we could see Neptune’s Window; it seemed that Neptune himself had taken a huge bite out of that part of the rugged landscape.
By early afternoon we were ashore and off on a walk to the window. Along the way, we passed numerous remains, such as water boats and wooden casks, harking back to the whaling days which ended here in 1931. At the end of the beach we come across a Weddell and leopard seal hauled out and resting. Then, up to the window and a view out to sea. We spent the rest of our time reconnoitering the old whaling station and the British Base which operated continuously from 1944 to 1967, when it had to be abandoned due to an eruption on the island.
There was one more surprise in store for us: a few hardy souls opted for a swim in the slightly warmed waters of Whaler’s Bay. The water at the very edge of the beach was hot, but judging by the extreme brevity of the time spent by each person in the water, one can reasonably conclude that the rest of the experience was very cold indeed!
